Director - Maxine Peake

Writer & Lead Actress - Hayley Standing

Producers - Shakyra Dowling, Jessica Levick

Exec Producers - Charlie MacGechan, Kristin Tarry

BFI NETWORK and Dam Films Presents, in association with Flying Colours Productions, a Magnified Picture Production.

A childless woman is told that her longed for unborn baby is incompatible with life. Alone, with her conscience and unable to openly discuss her situation because of society’s stigma surrounding termination and the self- silencing of women concerning reproduction, she painfully decides the best way forward.

RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 2023

PARIS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN FESTIVAL
Awarded: Best Short Film About Women Prize

Bolton Film Festival

Aesthetica Film Festival

Leeds International Film Festival

Norwich Film Festival

British Short Film Festival

NORTHHAMPTON FILM FESTIVAL

Maxine Peake - Director

Maxine has appeared in TV shows such as Silk, Shameless, Criminal Justice and See No Evil. Recent Film includes Funny Cow and Fanny Lye Delivered both in the title roles. Theatre highlights include Hamlet at the Royal Exchange, playing the prince of Denmark themselves.Maxine has written extensively for stage and Radio.

All her plays have focused on women’s stories. She has directed the short film Time Away and is now working on the feature version. She has also directed music videos for Cherry Ghost and Keeley Forsyth.

Hayley Standing - Writer / Lead Actress

Hayley grew up in Burnley and has since returned to the North. She trained at Manchester Met and began her career in the theatre working in the West End with Sir Ian McKellen, Shakespeare’s Globe and extensively in regional theatre. Hayley then began writing and performing character stand up on the comedy circuit which led onto many TV roles, highlights include a series regular in BBC 2’s HOMETIME and Mrs Patmore’s niece in the final series of DOWNTON ABBEY. Hayley was also a part of Mike Leigh’s film PETERLOO. Hayley took her much anticipated character comedy show ‘Britain’s Youngest Grandma’ to the Edinburgh Festival and was also a semi-finalist in the Funny Women Awards. Hayley has scripts in development with the BBC and CBBC and most recently worked on Katherine Parkinson’s debut play SITTING.

Shakyra Dowling CSA - Producer / Casting Director

Moving into film producing, Shakyra has been working as an Independent Casting Director for over two decades on Sundance, BAFTA, Berlinale and Oscar nominated films.

Shakyra has developed and produced several new writing theatre pieces which showed at Edinburgh Festival, Riverside Studios and Battersea Arts Centre.

She is a voting member of BAFTA, BIFA and Casting Society of America.

Jessica Levick - Producer

Jessica Levick is an independent producer working across fiction & documentary. Her first feature, the critically acclaimed BFI & adidas funded documentary PERSONAL BEST directed by Sam Blair was theatrically released by Verve Pictures in 2012.

A graduate of the NFTS Producing MA, Jessica has worked as an Associate Producer on the low budget feature film LEGACY starring Idris Elba and directed by Thomas Ikimi; and through her production company MAGNIFIED PICTURES, she has produced various award winning music videos and short films, including SATURDAY which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Current development projects include the feature documentary THE WILD ONES for Modern Films directed by Eva Weber & co-produced with Aconite Productions; and a fiction feature entitled THE DIRECTOR directed by Kim Albright and written by Maria Hummer. Jessica is a co-founder of the parents and carers organisation RAISING FILMS.